Toronto public transit: PRESTO card, monthly pass, and the automatic fare cap
How to pay for transit, how to get your student monthly pass, and how the TTC's new automatic fare cap works.
The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) fare system changed in September 2026 — this guide reflects the current system.
PRESTO: the card you pay with
Everything runs through a PRESTO card, or you can tap your debit/credit card or phone wallet directly on the validators. Register your card online to protect your balance if you lose it.
Per-trip fare and the automatic monthly cap
The Post-Secondary fare is the same as the Adult fare: $3.30 per trip on PRESTO. You no longer need to buy a monthly pass upfront: once you pay for 47 trips within a calendar month, the rest of your TTC trips that month are automatically free — the new "monthly fare cap," in effect since September 1, 2026.
For the cap to work correctly: always use the same card or device. If you switch between a physical card, phone, smartwatch, or another payment method, the system counts trips separately and it takes longer to reach the cap. Trips within the 2-hour transfer window don't count as separate trips. The count resets on the 1st of each month. The cap applies only to TTC trips, not GO Transit or other regional systems.
Post-Secondary Monthly Pass (if you'd rather pay a fixed amount upfront)
Still available as an alternative: it costs $128.15 a month. To buy and use it, you need a TTC Post-Secondary Photo ID Card — get this ID from your institution before trying to buy the pass.
U-Pass (universal pass bundled into your tuition)
It's not automatic and isn't offered at every institution — it varies by school. For example, there's no U-Pass at U of T's downtown campus (students voted it down), but U of T Mississauga (UTM) does have one in effect through August 2028, issued as a digital PRESTO voucher each term. Ask your institution's student services office directly whether yours offers one.
Getting around outside Toronto
GO Transit connects the greater metro area and other Ontario cities (separate fare from the TTC). UP Express takes you straight to Pearson Airport from Union Station.